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MusicalPraise the Egg! - A Musical by Mary Gage Celebrates the Life of Chickens

United Poultry Concerns
29 March 2010

Praise the Egg! - A Musical by Mary Gage Celebrates the Life of Chickens.
The Altoona Mirror, March 27, 2010

"Gage received an e-mail informing her that her novel was quoted at a chicken
conference at Yale University by Karen Davis, the president of United Poultry
Concerns. 'Gage's evocation of the chickens' point of view in their poultry yard
struck a deep chord in me,' Davis said."

Under the Pennsylvania animal cruelty law 5511(b), a person commits a summary

offense if he colors, stains, dyes or otherwise changes the natural color of
baby chickens, duckling or other fowl or rabbits. Accordingly, those responsible
for spraying paint on the feathers and face of nine or more hens at
Carnegie Mellon University should be identified and charged with animal cruelty.

This cruelty should not be treated as a student "prank" and it certainly would
not be if instead of chickens the mistreated animals were dogs or cats.

Spray paints are toxic if ingested, and spray paint cans carry warnings about
the danger of breathing the vapors from these paints. Spray paint will
definitely contribute to eye and respiratory problems in chickens, and spray
paint oil is virtually impossible to remove from feathers and skin. Chickens
will naturally preen their feathers to try to remove the paint which in turn
will lead them to ingest the paint with probable harmful effects.

The people who did this heartless thing to helpless birds should be charged and
prosecuted for their criminal activity. In addition, if they are students, they
should be significantly punished by Carnegie Mellon University. They should be
suspended, expelled and prevented from graduating.